Finders Keepers
by reginassthief
Summary: THIS STORY HAS BEEN ABANDONED SLIGHTLY. I'VE CHANGED THEM INTO ONESHOTS. IF YOU WANT THIS STORY READ EITHER Strumming In Smoky Perfumed Rooms (part one) and/or The Whore In The Red Dress (part two)
1. Chapter 1

I've decided to rewrite this beginning what would have been after chapter 4. I'm rewriting chapters 1 and 2 (leaving 3 alone) it's still going to have the room reversals which will apply to near enough everyone except perhaps a few. The genuine plot is going to stay the same such as Regina being an orphan and her stealing the ring. Really the only thing I'm changing is age and the fact that it's moved forward. Anyone reading this after the change (who didn't read the original) can ignore this.

Regina stands in the door way of the smoky room. Coloured cloths cover the windows, casting the room in different coloured hues. Music can be heard from the corner as a bunch of girls dressed in pinks, and blues, and greens, and other bright, transparent colours crowd around the person playing the instrument. The others drift from one place to the other. Only one is staying where she is. Regina feels awkward as she stands there while the girl stares at her. Even as Regina looks away, she can still feel the other girl's eyes on her.

Regina jumps slightly when she feels Leopold's hand on her back. He'd left her to go up alone, telling her it would be safe, whilst he spoke to a man waiting outside.

Her heart thumped while anxiety formed in her stomach. She'd entered the building, the scent of roses hitting her nose, and made her way slowly up the stairs until she reached the doorway she was currently standing it.

''You look scared.'' Regina hears hin say.

She doesn't speak, just clutches the skirt of her white dress Leo gave to her when she first arrived at his castle after stealing a ring. His ring.

Regina found that out one night after he tried to do...things to her. She protested at first, tried to fight away from the grip he had on her arm. Leo told her that this was her debt to him for not giving her away to the mob who would be waiting for her.

Wanting to keep both her hands, she let him touch her that night. It was only when he was about to enter her that she quickly cried out that she was still as virgin. He stopped and Regina saw an idea flicker in his eyes. Leopold climbed off her as Regina sat up slightly, wandering what he was doing. He told her that, in a few days, he was taking her to a new home. When he left, Regina curled herself a ball. Tears fell out of her eyes and onto the pillow as she wished she hadn't stole the ring, hadn't got into the carriage with him.

That was how she found herself here.

''There's nothing to be scared about,'' he carried on saying. ''They're all like you, little one.''

Regina cringes at the use of the pet name. He only calls her that at night and the mention of it brings up feelings and memories she tires so hard to keep buried below.

''Malari!'' he suddenly shouts. Regina looks up to see the girl who was currently staring at her walk over to them.

''What?'' she asks, her voice clearly displaying annoyance at being called over like some bitch.

Leo gives her a look and the blonde's demeanour changes. She smiles pleasantly and asks in a more calming yet heavily-laced-with-sarcasm voice, ''What can I do for you, My Lord?''

''This is Regina,'' the girl- Malari- looks at her and Regina gives her a little nervous smile as her fists clench her dress. ''I was wandering if you'd look after her?''

''What's her...speciality?''

Leo leans in to whisper something in the girl's ear. The whole time, Malari's eyes are on Regina. As Leo goes on, Regina watches the expressions change from scrutiny, to shocked and finally, to sadness.

Leo moves away from her and Regina wanders what he just told her to make all those emotions flutter across Malari's face.

''I'll look after her.'' the girl says after a bit. Leo smiles, tells them he needs to head back. Once he's gone, it's just the two of them.

''Come on, Orphan.'' she says. Regina sighs at her new nickname. At least it's better than 'little one'. Regina shivers at the thought of the old name. ''Let's change your dress. You look too pure for this place.'' Malari walks across the room, Regina follows behind her.

She isn't stupid. Regina knows exactly what 'this place' is. If she listens enough, she can hear moans and cries and skin slapping against skin coming from the behind the closed doors she passes. From the way Leopold looked at her and treated her, he already had this in mind. Regina was going to become one of his whores, just like all the other girls in this place. 'They're just like you.'

Regina should never have stolen that ring.


	2. Chapter 2

So this is now chapter 2 instead of chapter 3. Nothings changed, just its place.

His day had been going so well. Robin had managed to sneak away, shoot some arrows in the forest, then meet up with John to sell some gold he'd stole from his family's vault. Yes, his day had gone fine...until dinner rolled around.

When he enters the hall, it's this sister's gleeful shouts he hears first.

''Did you hear the news?''

''What news?'' Robin asks cautiously as she places himself on a chair.

Vanessa's eyes widen in shock. ''You don't know?'' She turns to their father who is sitting at the head of the table. ''Show him the letter! Show him the letter!'' the fifteen year old can barely contain her excitement.

However, next to her, Robin freezes in his seat. Letters hardly ever come with good news; usually they are about wars, or winter arriving, or possibly a marriage. Robin's fist clenches under the table. 'Oh Gods, don't let it be a marriage proposal', he prays.

Howard passes the letter to Robin. He takes it, heart actually thumping and anxiety raising. As he skims through, Mother begins speaking.

''We got the offer whilst you were...out.''

Though, her words are distant as Robin skims quicker through the letter. Words like 'marriage', 'engagement', 'as soon as possible', 'before they are both eighteen' standing out as Lady Anna proceeds speaking.

''We thought it was the best offer. She lives close by, and it seems they want it to happen sooner rather than later, so we accepted.''

Robin places the letter down, feeling numb. They spoke about this! About accepting marriage proposals on his behalf. They agreed to let him decide. 'So much for that', Robin thinks bitterly.

He looks up to see his mother staring down at him, patiently awaiting his response. He says the first thing he thought of when he read the letter:

''I've never met her.''

''Well, that can easily be sorted out. You're meeting her tomorrow.'' says Anna. Like that changes anything, he still hasn't met her. He doesn't even know her name- the letter obviously addressee to his parents- which brings him to his next question.

''What's her name?''  
''Zelena.''

And the name doesn't ring a bell.

Robin looks to his father who seems withdrawn from the conversation. Not that he would have helped. All Howard Locksley would have done is tell him how much of an honour this was. Robin would scoff to himself- honour was helping the poor, people in need, not marrying for one's own gain.

He'd foolishly told his father that one day and the answer he'd received horrified him.

Father laughs at the statement as he fumbles with the pin. ''And just where did you get that from?''

The nine year old boy shrugs and says, ''I just thought of it- it's the right thing to do.''

Father turns around, a puzzled look in his eyes. ''Son, the poor are not worth your time.'' he says. ''They're just thieves and whores and gutter rats.'' Howard claps him on his shoulder as Robin winces at the impact but he tries not to show it. ''They're all better dying off soon.'' He walks out the room leaving Robin confused but sure that he was going to help the poor.

All Robin wants to do now is leave. He eats some of his food, his appetite lost and soldiers through his sister go on about how perfect the wedding is going to be.

When enough is enough, Robin courteously removes himself from the hall and shuts himself in his chambers.

He lies on his bed and thinks. Tomorrow he had planned to help the poor again. You know, actually do something good and honourable. Now he has to spend it trying to impress some spoilt princess!

A guilty feeling sets in his stomach ad he turns onto his side. It's not her fault. She probably didn't get a choice either.

The sound of the creaking door opening has Robin looking up. Vanessa enters, dressed for bed, her brown hair braided over her left shoulder. Wordlessly, she walks over to his bed and places herself on the end, her knees tucked under her.

''Are you still being grumpy?'' she asks.

Robin out he's himself up, legs crossed under him and heart feeling heavy.

''I don't want to marry this girl, Nessa.'' he says avoiding her eyes. She'd been so excited at dinner. He should have left that alone.

''She probably doesn't want to marry you, either.''

Robin thinks, he hadn't thought of that, and laughs a little. ''True.'' he says still not looking at her, but Vanessa changes that by taking his hand in her soft one.  
When he finally looks up he sees nothing but hope in her blue eyes.

''You can love her, you know.'' then it's her turn to break the contact. ''And if you didn't, you only have to see her on formal occasions.''

Despite that she's looking away, Robin can see the sadness in her eyes and his heart breaks. She saying this from knowledge because this is what will happen to her. She'll be married soon, Robin's already seen the offers of marriage, and when the time comes, that man will only use her for a fuck when nobody else wants him.

A need to protect his sisters from that comes over him. He finds himself grabbing her hand in a similar fashion that she did. ''Vanessa, Father will find you a suitable man. You don't need to worry.''

Vanessa looks at him. ''I'm not,'' he can see tears begin to form in her eyes. ''It is what it is.'' She brings her hand away. ''Goodnight, Robbie.'' She climbs off the bed and disappears into the darkness of the corridor.

Robin flops back down into his bed. He has a choice: he can make this marriage work, the honourable thing to do, or he could give up at the first mention of it.

As he blows the candles out, Robin chooses his first option and prays that it is the right one.


End file.
